My Child is Having Sleep Issues After Visitation with a Narcissistic Parent - Help!
Helpful tips for protective parents seeking relief for children suffering from nightmares, bedwetting, insomnia, and other sleep-related issues.
Too often, protective parents are at a total loss when the family court system, CPS, law enforcement, therapists, and others can’t seem to help them protect their children from narcissistic abuse in the other parent’s home.
Sleep disturbances including insomnia, nightmares, and bedwetting are common issues that children face when forced into a stressful environment with an abusive parent.
Anticipating Issues & Dissipating Shame
One of the most important steps you can take, is to anticipate the issues and prepare in advance. If your child has begun wetting the bed, prepare by placing a mattress protector under their sheet, and having clean bedding close by and ready.
If your child has been having nightmares, make sure that they have extra time before bed to do some mindful breathing.
If they have trouble falling asleep and feel anxious about it, create a proactive plan so that they feel confident going into the nighttime.
As we work with our children instead of getting frustrated by the situation, any shame they may feel around sleep is replaced with a feeling of collaboration and comfort.
Choosing Creativity & Seeking Support
One of the most helpful tools in our arsenal back when my youngest, Sarah, was experiencing nightmares, was “nightmare spray”. It was just water, glitter, and a little lavender. And it made all the difference. We’d spritz her bed at night and because it helped so much, with her therapist’s guidance, we let her believe it was working.
Allowing curiosity and creativity into your life as you work toward solutions can be a wonderful way to invite childhood magic back into your home - and much needed rest and relief from sleep disturbances.
A qualified therapist can be so helpful in this process.
Relying on safe, supportive, family and friends can make all the difference when your family is worn out from the relentless chaos of the battlefield. So if you can, ask for help.
Sleep Disturbances and Narcissistic Abuse
If your child is experiences sleep disturbance issues, it’s important to make sure that you’re documenting what’s going on - and reporting anything concerning to the right authorities.
Enroll in my Documentation Workshop today for immediate access in order to learn how to properly convey your concerns to family court professionals.
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Divorcing a narcissist? Welcome, you've come to the right place.
The fine print: I am not qualified to give you (or anyone) legal advice, I recommend consulting with your attorney. Your attorney is your voice and your advocate in the family court system.
About me: My name is Tina Swithin. I am a survivor and I am a mom who "gets it.” While acting as my own attorney, I successfully protected my children in a system that is best described as “inhumane,” I am a blogger, a divorce coach and a fierce advocate for reform in the family court system. I divorced a narcissist and I prevailed. You can read more about me here.
